


XI. Justice

by PostcardsfromTheoryland



Series: April Tarot Card Prompts [22]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Gen, Naxzela (Voltron), Post-Episode: s04e06 A New Defender, Suicidal Ideation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:22:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23800744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PostcardsfromTheoryland/pseuds/PostcardsfromTheoryland
Summary: Justice: Karma, cause and effect, consequencesKeith has just tried to ram the barrier on Haggar's ship, and Matt is concerned.
Relationships: Matt Holt & Keith
Series: April Tarot Card Prompts [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1686346
Comments: 18
Kudos: 125





	XI. Justice

“Ok, what the _fuck_ was that?” Matt growled as he stormed into Keith’s quarters. “Why would that be even remotely acceptable?” Keith froze in the middle of the room, halfway out of his armor, and had the gall to look surprised at the intrusion.

“Um?”

“Don’t ‘um’ me, Kogane, you know exactly what I’m talking about.” And Keith’s face shuttered at that, eyes falling to the floor, because of course he knew.

“Look, I didn’t think we had a choice, okay? I didn’t know Lotor was going to show up, and I just knew that we had to stop Naxzela from blowing up, by any means necessary.”

“We could have found a different way,” Matt argued.

“There wasn’t time! We were out of options, and I was prepared to do what I had to.”

“That wasn’t ‘doing what you had to.’ That was giving up. You gave up.”

“Matt, I appreciate the concern, but it’s not like I _wanted_ to die. It’s just, we’re fighting a war, and people like you and me, we’re not...we aren’t like the Paladins. We’re expendable. And if I’m going to die I want to at least know that I died protecting other people. If Naxzela had gone off, it would have destroyed the entire system _and_ Voltron, and we can’t win this war without Voltron. So yeah, one of me against all of that? It’s simple math.”

That was honestly a scarier response than the silence he’d gotten when Keith had been approaching the shield.

“Keith, please don’t take this the wrong way, but...are you okay?”

“We’re fighting a war, are any of us okay?”

“Alright, fair point but, is there anyone you can talk to?”

Keith just gave him a tired chuckle in response. “Oh yeah, I’m sure that will go over real well with the Blade. ‘Hey, Kolivan, I need some time off to see a shrink, is that cool?’”

“You know what I mean,” Matt said, trying to be stern. “Maybe you can talk to the Paladins? This isn’t healthy.”

“Would they...care?” Keith asked, the tiniest wobble in his voice betraying him. “Every member of the Blade of Marmora that they’ve interacted with except for Kolivan, they’ve seen them die. They know the risks and…”

And Matt wanted to argue that point, he really did, but Keith was sort of right. Voltron had let Keith go off and join the group of Galra assassins and seemingly hadn’t given him a spare thought since. It hadn’t even come up any time he’d visited the Castle of Lions, no ‘oh hey did we ever tell you Keith Kogane is up in space, too, and he used to pilot the Red and Black Lions? Now he’s with the Blade of Marmora. Weird, right?’

“You should Join the rebels with me, then,” he suggested. “Even if you’re not part of Voltron anymore, there are other options, and I really don’t think the Blade of Marmora is good for your continued existence right now.”

“I feel like I’m supposed to be here,” Keith said. “This is where I’m doing the most good.”

“I swear to God, Keith, if this is some shitty penance for being Galra, it’s fucking stupid.”

“It’s not penance,” Keith snapped. “It’s just where I fit in. There’s an entire half of my culture that I don’t know anything about, and here’s a group of Galra that aren’t loyal to the Empire who can teach me that stuff, it just makes sense.”

“You can learn about Galran culture without joining the ‘Mission over the Individual’ cult they’ve got going on here! Hell, Lotor’s all ready to be buddy-buddy with us, there’s your opportunity to learn about your heritage!”

“I am _not_ having heart-to-hearts with Lotor about Galra culture, Matt.”.

“Just…” But this was a losing battle, and Matt knew it. “Just be careful, okay? And talk to me? If you want? I know we weren’t as close as you and Shiro were, but I’m serious, Keith, I’m worried about you.”

“Thanks, Matt. I’ll keep in touch.”

It was a clear dismissal, and Matt was sure Keith wouldn’t actually take him up on the offer. It ate away at him as he walked back toward the hangar.

For all that the Paladins of Voltron had some supposedly amazing bond, why was Matt the only one that seemed concerned?


End file.
